It’s lonely at the top. Who do you talk to?

Founder & Strategic Advisor

John has spent 25 years working agency-side across advertising, marketing and broadcasting, initially at various agencies in the US and in Europe, helping countless global brands with their strategy and campaigns; and then at the helm of his own creative content business. He now applies that hard-won experience, helping ambitious founders accelerate their growth.

“Advising founders demands more than just experience and a strategic mind. It requires patience, empathy, imagination and an ability to keep them energised and focused on growth.”

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Head of Client Services

Monique’s career spans twenty-five years, both agency and client-side, the last half of which has focused on advising budding agency leaders on their marketing and new business strategies.

“Part ambassador, part strategist, it’s my job to connect with agency founders, assess their needs and help match them with our advisors.”

Advisor

Lucy has held senior management positions, both agency and client-side, as well as non-exec and advisory roles.

Her earlier years in sales and marketing at brands like Unilever, Tesco and Coca-Cola gave her a deep understanding of both branding and organizational dynamics. She went on to become MD of iconic design agency Fitch, before being asked by Diageo to build their design department from scratch in South East Asia, bedding in systems, teams and lasting client relationships along the way.

Lucy now channels her considerable experience and expertise into supporting the budding management of organizations intent on rapid growth. She is an accredited coach, a mentor and member of the Design Business Association’s panel of experts.

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Advisor

Anton started his first agency in 1997. Since then he has built two agencies and acquired three. He has weathered three recessions (and counting) and still managed to build an agency model that returned over £15m in revenues and a very healthy operating profit, a business he still oversees today.

He now advises other founders on how to manage, grow, buy and sell.

“I love nothing more than to deep-dive into the four key silos that I feel really make a business click: People, Process, Profile and Profit.”

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Advisor

Thirty five years in the business have given Joanna a deep understanding of agency dynamics. There is not much she hasn’t seen, or solved, over the years! 

She now works closely with agency leaders and their client services leads, providing invaluable strategic guidance tailored to each agency’s unique challenges, guiding them from the sidelines - helping them plan, course-correct or pivot when required - speeding them towards their goals faster than they might otherwise do on their own.

Joanna prides herself on ensuring that every move she makes with founders directly contributes to sustainable growth, unlocking the agency’s true potential.

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Advisor

Emma’s 28-year career working in agencies, leading in-house creative teams and as an entrepreneur, has given her a unique lens on the business of creativity and growth. In 2013 she launched creative agency Hands Down!® providing strategic brand design for future-focused tech brands, from high-growth start-ups to giants like Google, Snapchat and Silicon Valley Bank. It was also one of the first in the UK to become BCorp.

Emma has advised over 120 start-up ventures, from vegan ice cream to AI, helping them leverage design, creativity and branding to achieve success.

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